Armor for soldiers.



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J. R. DURAN.

ARMOR FOR SOLDIERS.

`\ APPLlcATloN FILED JULY 31. 191s.

1,212,463. Patented Jan.16,1917.

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I. n. DURAN. y ARMOR FOR SOLDIERS. APPLICATION FILED JULY 31,19l6.

Patented Jan. 16, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 wif/@e5 S iran STATES f JUSTIN R. DORAN, OF BEAVER, IOWA.

ARMOR FOR SOLDIERS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Jan, 16, 1917.

Application filed July 31, 1916. Serial No. 112,423.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, JUSTIN R. DORAN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Beaver, in the county of Boone and State of Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful Armor for Soldiers, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide an armor for soldiers of simple, durable and inexpensive construction.

A further object is to provide an armor for soldiers so constructed and arranged that the armor may be readily and easily supported and carried by the soldier for protecting him when in battle.

single large plate, or by simple adjustment of the parts they may be connected so as to have in horizontal cross section the form f a V.

illustrated in the accompanying drawings, I have shown my armor comprised of two comparatively large sheets of metal which I have indicated in the accompanying drawings by the reference characters 1() and' 11. Secured to the top and bottom edges of the members 11 are strips of resilient metal 12 which project considerably beyond the side edge of the member 11 as shown in Figs. l and 2. At each end of each plate adjacent to the same side edge thereof is a channel-shaped member 13 having the ends of the member 10 received between its walls. The central part of each channel-shaped member 13 is spaced from the adjacent edge of the member 10. rlhe projecting portions of the strips 12 are extended through the channel-shaped members 13 between the central parts thereof and the edges of the plate 10. The eXtreme free ends of the strips 12 project beyond the members 13 extending outwardly from the top and bottom edges of the plate 10. Within the channelshaped members 13 are pins 14 projecting from the end of the plate 10. Each strip 12 is provided with an opening adapted to receive one of the pins 14.

In assembling the plates 10 and 11 to- My invention consists in the construction, gethel', the free ends of the strips 12 are 85 arrangement and combination of the various drawn outwardly from the plate 10 to perparts of the device whereby the objects conmit them to pass over the pins' 14, until the templated are attained, as hereinafter more hOles 15 register with the pins 14. 'I he fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, strips 1 2 are then released, and their resiliand illustrated in the accompanying draweIlCy wlll Cause them to move toposition adings in which jacent to the end edges of the plates 10,

Figure 1 shows a front elevation of an with the pins 14 received in the holes 15. armor for soldiers embodying my invention. The strips 12 are of proper width to iit Fig. 2 shows a rear elevation of the same. between the walls of the channel-shaped Fig. 3 shows a top or plan view of the same, members 13 whereby the plates 10 and 11 95 partly in section, the dotted lines showing the position of one of the plates when arranged at an angle to the other plate. Fig. 4 shows a side elevation of my improved armor when installed on the ground. Fig. 5 shows a detail, sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 shows a sectional view taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 2. Fig. 7 shows a detail, sectional view illustrating the method of fastening the two large plates together. Fig. 8 shows a side elevation of a soldier equipped with one of my improved armors, and Fig. 9 shows a perspective view of several of the armors arranged side by side on the ground with the 55 soldier lying behind them.

In the exemplification of my invention are held against twisting movement with relation to each other, and are caused to form a continuous flat plate. Formed in the opposite wall of each channel-shaped member 13 are openings 16 and 17. These openings are arranged diagonally across the plate 10 from each other, as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

The walls of the channel-shaped members 13, at the sides of the openings 16 and 17, are beveled so that when desired the strips 12 may be inserted through the openings 16 and 17, as illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 3, and when so inserted will be held against any horizontal swinging movement.

The openings 16 and 17 are of such height as to permit the raising and lowering of the strips 12, so that said strips may be raised or drawn away from the end edges of the plate 10 to permit the strips to clear the pins 14, during the assembling and dissembling of the plates 10 and 11. Each plate 11 is provided with an opening 18 through which a rifle may be extended.

Pivoted at a point above each opening 18 is a cover plate 19 adapted normally to drop by gravity to position for covering the opening 18 with its edges overlapping the portion surrounding the opening 18. Each plate 19 is provided with an inwardly extending lug 20 projecting into the adjacent opening 18 and adapted to limit the swinging movement of the cover plate 19.

Secured to the inner surface of each plate 10 and 11 near the upper end thereof is a loop 21 through which a strap 22 or the like may be secured for supporting my improved armor on a soldier.

Secured to the inner surface of each plate 11 adjacent to and projecting beyond the side edge thereof opposite the plate 10, are keeper members 23. Secured to the outer surface of each plate 11, parallel with each keeper member 23, is a similar keeper member 24. It will be seen that where it is desired to place several memebrs of my armor edge to edge, the members 23 and 24 will receive between them the adjacent edge of the next member 10, of the armor.

Secured to the inner surface of each plate 10 and 11 near the lower end thereof and near the outer edge thereof is a loop 25 to which may be secured a strap 26 designed to go around the waist of a soldier, as shown in Fig. 8.

Pivotally secured to the inner surface of each plate 10 and 11 preferably somewhat near the upper end thereof, is a supporting brace member 27, having the short points 28 at its free end, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2.

A substantially rectangular strip 29 is centrally pivoted to the lower or pointed end of each brace 27. As a matter of fact each strip 29 is pivoted just enough ofi1 center so it will normally hang by gravity with one end down, as shown by the full lines in Fig. 2', to position to cover the point 28, of the brace 27.

Slidably mounted on the brace 27 above the pivot point of the strip 29 is a loop 30. The loop 30 may be used to hold the strip 29 parallel with the brace 27 as shown by full lines in Fig. 2, when the brace hangs downwardly adjacent to the plates 10 and 11. Vhen, however, it is desired to install my improved armor on the ground, as shown in Fig. 4, where the plates 10 and 11 are inclined upwardly and rearwardly, then the braces 27 are extended rearwardly and downwardly as shown in said figure, and the loops 30 are pushed upwardly on the brace 27, and the strips 29 are moved to horizontal position where they tend to limit the distance. The sharp ends of the brace 27 may be forced downwardly into the ground. The loops 30 are allowed to drop adjacent to the strip 29 and tend to hold them in their horizontal position.

Secured to the inner surface of the plates 10 by any suitable attachment, near the side edge thereof opposite the plate 11 to which said plate is then secured, is a hook 31. On the plate 11, on the inner surface thereof is a button 32 adapted to coact with the hook 31 of the adjacent plate 10'. Two of my armors are placed end to end.

In the practical use of my improved armor, it may be put to a great variety of uses. By extending the strips 12 through the openings 16 and 17, the plates 10 and 11 may be arranged at an obtuse angle to each other in convenient form for wearing the armor, as illustrated in Fig. 8. It is, of course, obvious that the armor in this form may be placed on the ground and supported by the braces 27. When desired, the plates 10 and 11 may be assembled as shown in Fig. 2 forming substantially one large plate and the armor may be placed on the ground as illustrated in Fig. l and supported by means of the braces 27 When the armor is carried by the soldier the members 29 are placed in position parallel with the braces 27 and the loops 30 are extended thereover holding said member 29 in position. When the pointed ends of the braces 27 are sunk into the ground the loops 30 are moved upwardly and the members 29 are moved to horizontal position whereupon the loops 30 are moved downwardly to their position shown in Fig. 2 where they will hold the members 29 in their horizontal position for thev purpose of limiting the distance which the sharp ends of the brace 27 can be forced into the ground.

A plurality of my armors may be placed edge to edge for protecting a number of soldiers, as shown in Fig. 9. Vhen the armors are so used, the free side edges of the plate 10 are slipped between the members 23 and 24 of the adjacent plate 11 of the next armor.

The armors mayI be locked in series by securing the hooks 31 to the button 32 of the next adjacent armor.

The rifle man can push the pivoted member 19 aside by means of the lug 20 and insert his rifle through the opening 18. As soon as the rifle is removed, the member 19 will automatically drop to position for covering the opening 18.

The straps 22 may be extended around the body of the wearer, as shown inv Fig. 8, and the straps 26 can be extended around the waist. The armor can be carried in such position as to protect the chest and the abdomen of the soldier. The straps 22 may be very quickly and easily installed by simply doubling over one end of the strap, after the strap has once been inserted through one of the loops 21 and then slipping the doubled over end through said loop as shown in Fig. 6.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the various parts of my improved armor Without departing from the essential features and purposes thereof, and it is my intention to cover by this application any modifications of structure and any mechanical equivalents, Which may be included Within the reasonable scope of my claims:

I claim as my invention:

l. An armor comprised of two sheets of suitable metal placed edge to edge, and means for locking said sheets together, and adapted to hold said sheets locked in alinement With each other, or in position forming an obtuse angle With relation to each other.

2. An armor comprising a pair of plates adapted to be arranged With their side edges adjacent to each other, a strip on each end of one of said plates projecting beyond the side edge thereof made of resilient material, a receiving member on each end of the other plate adapted to receive the projecting end of one of said strips of said first plate, the projecting ends of said strips and the ends of the adjacent plate having coacting means for locking said plates together.

3. An armor comprising a pair of plates, adapted to be arranged With the side edge of one plate adjacent to the side edge of the other plate, strips of resilient material secured to the ends of one plate and proj ectino` beyond the side edge thereof, channel-shaped members mounted on the end of the other plate near the side edge thereof adjacent to the first plate with the ends of the strips of said first plate received Within the Walls of said channel-shaped member, With the central portions of the channel-shaped members spaced from the end of said plate to which the end of said channel-shaped members are secured, said channel-shaped member being adapted to receive the projecting ends of said resilient strip, said rojecting end and the end of said second p ate being provided with coacting locking means.

el.. An armor comprising a pair of plates adapted to be arranged Withthe side edge of one plate adjacent to the side edge of the other plate, strips of resilient material secured tothe ends of one plate and projecting beyond the side edge thereof, channelshaped members mounted on the end of the other plate near the side edge thereof adjacent to the first plate with the ends of the strips of the first plate received Within the Walls of said channel-shaped members, With the central members of the channel-shaped portions spaced from the end of said plate to which the end of said channel-shaped member is secured, said channel-shaped member being adapted to receive the projecting ends of said resilient strip, said projecting ends and the ends of said second plate being provided with coacting locking means, as to be Within the channel-shaped members when the plates are assembled and locked together.

5. An armor comprising a pair of plates, adapted to be arranged with the side edge of one plate adjacent to the side edge of the other plate, strips of resilient material secured to the ends of one plate and projecting beyond the side edge thereof, channelshaped members mounted on the end of the other plate near the side edge thereof adjacent to the first plate with the ends of said strips of the first plate received Within Q the Walls of said channel-shaped member, With the central portions of said channelshaped member spaced from the end of said plate to which the end of said channelshaped member is secured, said channelshaped member being adapted to receive the projecting ends of said resilient strip, said projecting ends and the ends of said second plate being provided W ith coacting locking means, each of said channel-shaped meinbers having in its side Wall spaced from the ends of the second plate, diagonally alined openings adapted to receive the projecting ends of said resilient strips for permitting said plates to be locked together at obtuse angles With relation to each other.

6. .An armor comprising a pair of plates adapted to be arranged with the side edge of one plate adjacent to the side edge of the other plate, strips of resilient material secured to the ends of one plate and projecting beyond the side edge thereof, channelshaped members mounted on the ends of the other plate near the side edge thereof adjacent to the first plate with the ends of the strips of the first plate received Within the walls of said channel-shaped member, with the central portions of the channel-shaped members spaced from the end of said plate to which the said channel-shaped member is secured, said channel-shaped members being adapted to receive the projecting ends of said resilient strips, said projecting ends and the ends of said second plate being provided With coacting locking means, a brace member pivoted to each of said plates.

7. An armor comprising a pair of plates adapted to be arranged With the side edge of one plate adjacent to the side edge of the other plate, strips of resilient material secured to the ends of one plate and projecting beyond the side edge thereof, channelshaped members mounted on the ends of the other plate near the side edge thereof adjacent to the first plate With the ends of the strips of the first plate received Within the Walls of said channel-shaped member, With the central portions of the channel-shaped members spaced from the ends of said plate to which said channel-shaped members are secured, said channelshaped members being adapted to receive the projecting ends of said resilient strips, said projecting ends and the ends of said second plate being provided With coacting locking means, a brace member` pivoted to each of said plates, having a sharp free end, a bar pivoted to said brace member near its free end and adapted to be pulled from parallel position with the brace member to position at substantially right angles thereto, and a loop slidably mounted on each brace member and adapted-in one position to receive said bar for holding the i tions of said bar to receive the bar for holding it parallel to the brace member, and in the transverse position of said bar to slide down on the brace for holdingthe bar in its transverse position.

Des Moines, Iowa, July 18, 1916.

JUSTIN R. DORAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained` for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

